Share in pleasent feeling!

Im All Eyed!

2007-06-01T04:17:00.000-07:00

I`m half drunk from a barbecue at Takenoko. It was so great. Sugoy! Yo katonae!! Something like that. Just got home and opened a box full of amazing american treasures from amazing American people. Im like all eyed. Wow, thanks everybody. I feel like I should give a speech. Im not going to. I will say Thank You so much though. It really means a lot.

So, the barbecue was to celebrate Takenokos opening four years ago. All of the important towns people were there along with all the residents of takenoko and i invited my three young students to join the party. there were games and food and fun. There was a quiz about... various things i suppose, to win prizes. Biscuits and rubber spikey ball things. Iaa-san correctly answered a question which the answer to was Bdlryan-san!! haha. I delivered her prizes to her and she kissed her spikey ball like she was blowing me a kiss from the ball.. hahahaha Shes so great.

I came home and got this package and Im just astounded. So, I have to go now. Im going to go get more half drunk, look at all my treasure and listen to my extremely odd collection of music ive amassed here. Onigaishimas!
Thank you.
Arigato,

Love,
Bryan

This Time doesn`t have Many Option.

2007-05-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

"You`re not going to Kyoto tomorrow."

"I`m not? Why??"

"Two people out of seven have broken up."

"Ohhhhhh..? Ok." (damn)

1 hours later-

"You`re going to Mount Fuji tomorrow!"

"Really!???"

"I`ll tell you later what time"

Later-

"You`re not going to Mount Fuji."

"Uhhhhhhhhhh......... ... Why?"

"That guy has a baby."

Thanks for trying Kohei. Maybe next time!

Naze, Dore da ke, itsu, doko, nani??????

2007-05-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

The other day i saw a german shephard with pure black, drawn on anime eyebrows. It also had a "beauty mark". I think thats what its called. A drawn on Madonna mole. I laughed then felt sorry for the poor thing. Even if its a girl.. It`s been emasculated. Speaking about dogs, I also met an 84 year old dog named Picasso. Or P-Chan for short. Kohei`s dog. He has a mohawk. Not a faux-hawk but a mohawk. He rocks it well. He was hit by a car many years ago and one eye popped out. They popped it back in but not all the way. He looks like a weird creature I would draw. Also, He`s insane.

In one days time I`m going to Kyoto. Ive been told by several people that its a very beautiful city. I was also told by friends here that I must eat everything there. Wherever we go to eat. I must eat everything on my plate. ?. What? People here, Japanese or not, have weird ideas about forcing people to eat what they dont want. It`s cool when your 6 and you`re just being a brat or to preoccupied with toys to eat. Its fine for someone to make you eat. Right? With me? I`m a grown man. I eat what I want. I don`t eat what I don`t want. No one, ecspecially a restaurant owner/waiter whatever, tells me what/how much to eat. I need your support and magical spells on this one for I wont back down. Im leading this revolution. Fight this power!!!!

Kyoto. I should come back with some lovely pictures if its like everyone says. About a 2-3 hour trip by car.

Today I tried to show my appreciation for everything to Koheis mother by telling her- "Thank you for all of your hospitality". I had found it in a phrase book somewhere and written it down to use later. I memorized it and when i saw her drive up I got nervous and recited it a few times to myself. When I said it to her she didnt look happy. She didnt look pleased. She started pointing at her self, pointing at Takenoko asking me lots of Japanese questions and looking somewhat distressed. Ohya-san came and we figured everything out. Apparently I had said something to the effect of.. "were not close.. Were not really friends and also, Im leaving." HAHA Soooo. You can imagine I was kind of disappointed by this. I was hoping big pink hearts would form in her eyes and around her head while her voice got really loud and high....

B-r-y-a-n

Season 2 coming soon!

2007-05-23T02:46:00.000-07:00

Season one was a blast and really left us on a cliffhanger. Ive been busy with lots of stuff. (you know stuff?) So I haven`t had time to write. However, season 2 promises to be full of: Food explosions, pink kittens with sparkle magic, and Broken language templates. Please stay tuned!!!

Maximum Feel for Loving Life

2007-05-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

Some of these things may sound like complaints. They`re not. I promise. Except for one and I:ll tell you when.

I should have gone over a lot of this stuff before now. Better late than never!

OBSERVATIONS:

At the airport they let the weapon/drug dog sniff me a very long time. Old Miss serial killer walked away unsniffed. I almost bent down and petted the dog for he was a golden retriever, my favorite dog and since he was wagging his tail.

I have one regular person who shows up to hear me talk to him. His name is Takumi, he just turned six two weeks ago and he likes me a lot ever since I gave him brightly colored candy and a Lilo and Stitch toy. There is the odd person here and there. Mostly, just Takumi (Tah-coo-me).

I was stopped while riding my bike two weeks ago by a policeman who wanted to investigate my existence. I was stopped at a stoplight waiting to cross and he came over and talked to me in japanese. I assumed he was a security guard trying to make small talk with the novel American. He kept pointing to my bike and so I figured he was trying to tell me he had a bike just like this. He kept pointing to the bike then to himself. For two minutes I believed all of this. He was actually trying to get me off the bike so he could read the serial numbers on it because he believed I stole the bike. I got off, he read the serial numbers into his walkie talkie.

I told him it was Kumiko`s bike (kohei`s sister) but... he didn`t speak english. I dont speak Japanese. He then asked me... I guess, were I lived and was unsatisfied with my answer. He demanded my passport and read things into his walkie talkie. After the little man inside the small talk device on his shoulder told him something he asked me where I was going. I knew this answer. Very proudly, in my best Japanese told him "Daikido" and pointed to it. I could see it. So could he. His response was... "Daikido"????....... "Daikido"?????......He had no clue what or where Daikido was. I looked behind me for the first time and saw that I was infact right in front of the Toyohashi police station. He goes to work there everyday and Daikido is less than a block away. In view... The sign for it is viewable from the police station. I could clearly read it from the police station... (He`ll never make detective) Anyway, he cautiously let me go.... aiiiiiiyahhhhhhh

I went to two Hanami festival celebrations. Gorgeous. Everyone in a good mood. Wonderful. This is Golden Week. Celebrating all kinds of stuff. Japanese celebrate a lot. I dont know how to celebrate Golden Week but Im trying!

Complaint:

The last 7 containers of milk I have bought have been spoiled. Rotten. Bad. I actually had a dream about drinking milk. What a lame dream! Although nothing weird happened in it.. no weird tension or hidden anxiety. Just drinking a tall glass of cold milk. I guess it was a great dream. Kohei tonight, offered me milk and I felt a great joy come over me. I smelled the container and said its bad Kohei! It:s rotten! He drank a glass and told me it:s fine.... I know what I smelled and my nose will not let me drink this milk!!!

I volunteer at the old folks home for those with dementia everyday but wed and thurs. There is a woman there named Iaa-san and she`s really funny. She likes me a lot and I like her. She constantly wants me to eat rice. One morning I came she asked me to eat breakfeast. I told her I already had so then she asked me to go ahead and eat lunch! Haha. One night when it was time for me to leave she began yelling for me to stay!! She also asked if I was single and she always asks me where Ive come from whenever i reenter the room. She has the comedic timing of a super smart British comedian and she likes to sing really old Japanese songs while eating. Oh yeah eating, at lunch, I always sit next to her and she always gives me more than half of her lunch. I always give it back and she always slides it back to me... I let her see me pick at her lunch and then when she`s done with what she has kept I offer her lunch back to her and she accepts and digs in! Haha She`s so sweet.

Oy my fingers are tired.

Ayasuminasai

Feel Your Life 100%

2007-05-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

Feel Your Life 100% was the first thing I noticed about Japan. It:s a windy warm night. I`m feeling my life 78% right now. You?

Kohei`s grandfather passed away yesterday. I went to the ceremony at Kohei`s parent`s (grandfather`s) home today. It was a beautiful ceremony. Brightly colored everything except for the people. Many kinds of... decorations and signs I took as celebrating his new journey. Everyone not close family stood outside and inside, The core family sat as a Buddhist or Shinto monk sat singing a beautiful song. He rang a bell every once in a while. The inside of the house were the ceremony and maybe the body were, were the most brightly colored.

I first met Kohei`s grandfather (I believe his name is Mohei) the first time I came to Japan. Kohei taught me the proper greeting to say to impress him. I did! he began talking to me in Japanese and Kohei told me he thought i spoke Japanese because I spoke the greeting so well! He`s a very nice man. I`m staying, for free, in his apartment buildings that he ran. His present to me.

I`m so grateful. Thank you Mohei-san.

Like grandfather like granddaughter: Kohei`s sister Kumiko told me the other day, in English, that my "Japanese is very real"!

Goodnight

It`s an E-Jungle Out There.

2007-04-28T07:29:00.000-07:00

I`m sitting at E-Jungle right now. It`s about 11:30 P.M. I have about 40 minutes left. This is an internet bar and cafe. There are two Japanese men next to me intensely ! playing video games on either side. There is a nice pair of headphones in front of me as well as a phone, a soccer ball pen, some toothpicks and an ash tray. Oh yeah and a computer and computer screen. (and my arms and fingers.. I see those...) I don`t have much to say but I had seen this place before and thought tonight I would give it a try. about $3.80 for an hours worth of glowing screen. Nice! If I think about it longer I may try one of the fancier private booths!

Kohei`s grandfather had problems with his lungs and heart and couldn't breath. He`s been in the hospital for about two weeks now. He stopped breathing for five minutes and now (they think) he`s brain dead. I haven`t seen much of Kohei these last two weeks. He seems to handle this well. Although, It`s obvious he`s getting stressed out.

I hope tomorrow to go buy art supplies. OH! and groceries!!

I have a karaoke appointment next Saturday with Imari-san and Shinonomi-san. A Father and daughter team from Osaka.

This is the most boring entry yet!

Bryan

P.S. Being in Japan now for however long I`ve been here, I have found that, indeed, Mewkies ARE all time. I got the feeling some people didn`t really believe this!! (you know who you are or aren`t)

Are you listening?

2007-04-25T04:49:00.000-07:00

Hello. It:s official. No internet at my place anymore. It:s like they say, "one minute you have it and then.. sometimes you don:t really have it but it blinks blue so you think you have it but it:s only playing with you"

I went to karoake today. For the first time. ... oh boy... I LOVED it! Wow, I had no idea. The Japanese really have the concept right though, different than American karoake. You go into this nicely lit building with happy smiley people. You tell them.. "I want sing" and they take you to this nice sized (as japanese size goes) booth. You then order food or not, they close the door, then you get to singing.

This is how to do it. Who cares if your 3-7 friends hear you make a fool of yourself? They`ve probably already heard you sing and you`ll hear them wail next. Everyone must sing! Actually that`s a rule I think I made up while getting ready to sing. Here are the songs i sang: Lady in Red, Time After Time, Africa, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Ice Box, I Just Called To Say I Love you, Strawberry Chips, Hotel California, Maneater, and a few others i think. I should note that most of these songs were duets with Kohei one with Yuriko. Oh and Kohei and I sang a looooong medley of Madonna songs... (Kohei chose to do this) :)

Afterwards we went to an arcade/batting cages. We hit a few balls and went home. Karoake wore me out. Batting cages bruised my hand. I`m ready for my long day off tomorrow!

P.S. Will someone send me internet please? Thank You!!

The Earth is always moving

2007-04-18T18:23:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I had my first two (real) earthquakes of my life. I was gently rumbled from sleep. I opened my eyes and thought it was really hard wind shaking things. Then I felt my body moving and saw my hanging light swaying. I just stayed in bed with wide eyes watching my swinging lamp until it was over.

As soon as it was over, several cars with bullhorns were driving through the neighborhood blaring and speaking frantically. I translated what they were saying to be: "That was just the first wave. You will all die in the next one!" I found out later from my friend Kohei they were asking me to vote for their politician! Haha

When i went to Takenoko (the old folks home) later and told them I had my first earthquake today, those that could understand me, didn:t believe me and said I had experienced fireworks from the night before. ?

The second one happened later that night and was much smaller and gentler. I was much more prepared and did exactly the same thing as before: froze and staired wide-eyed my lamp.

What Happening?

2007-04-17T02:04:00.000-07:00

Hey there. I:m unwinding now from an evening out
with friends. I found out my answer to lights out
vending machines. They don:t work. So instead of
running down the street further I:m going to go
without cigarettes tonight. My goal was to stop
before i left america and ... etc...

We went to a brazilian restaraunt tonight and my
stomach is not happy. They kept serving us different
parts of the cow and i can:t tell if i hate all parts
of the cow or if they just prepared it weird.
Anyway, I feel I:m rambling.----

--Have to add this! After we were done eating i noticed a sign written in Portugese on the wall. In fact, it was posted everywhere. Emilia, my brazilian/japanese friend told me it said ! Those who leave food on their plate will be charged ¥500! $5.00 for not eating my food!!!! My plate had the most half eaten chunks of odd meat on it. I:m running low on money so i thought "this can:t happen." I went to my bag, found a small bag with sweets in it given as a present by Akane (ah-kuh-nay a student!) I poured out the sweets watched the waiter and chucked all the meat in. i saved ¥500! Yes!!!

What are you doing?

Bryan

Important answers for important questions

2007-04-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

I:ve been asked about SEGA world (arena). It:s a good question. Like "What is it?" Well, to better answer about one of my favorite places in the smaller town of Toyohashi, I went to SEGA World (arena) to find some answers. They were there. Written in brightly colored letters above the mass of people playing videogame/card game hybrid things! It went as follows: (word for word)

Arena Story: Long ago in America, there were old pinball machines in the old building at the suburbs. You looked at those machines for a while and inserted coins. Just then the machine sparkled with sound and next moment you were in the fantastic arena looked like innerspace of the pinball machine. There were many ____ game machines in the world. Those games made you pleased, happy and emotional you ____ and___ ___.......

The end.

So there it is! I was glad to finally learn more about Arena story. :)

Oh, this place is huge and also contains videogames and bowling and movies and sits right next to a giant 7-11 grocery store!

I hope this clears it up fo ya.

Love,
Bryan

Ouch! my head hurts. Again. Still. (repeat)

2007-04-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

I:m in the Japan! (the apostrophe button is too complicated to use)--Update! There is no Apostrophe button!

I have a scab on the very top point of my head. From doors and lights.--Update! Again and still

Things may calm down soon. I had to fight Godzilla today. So everything is safe now. Tonight I have to run on brightly pixeled loud rooftops to fight porno ninja;s. It;s just everyday here.

I have a portable heater that runs on gasoline?(and Batteries!) In my house???? Japan! What???? Smells like the worst white trash cubicle in my life.

i should mention that I:m in love with this place. LOVE! We will be married in a few days. Bryan&Japan.--Update! The ceremony was beautiful

One more thing: the style of the Japanese male: the current style of the japanese male is to look like an effeminate Korean/Chinese teen popstar who, themselves, look like effiminate middle aged japanese video game fighting characters. Giant spikey hair and all. I met all of tekken today!

Sayonara right?--Right!